The Dictator Of The Duvalier Family In Haiti History Essay The Dictator Of The Duvalier Family In Haiti History Essay Published: Last Edited: 23rd March, 2015 This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers. This paper seeks to answer the question: How did the dictatorship of the Duvalier family in Haiti affect the country's both religious and political aspects? In order to answer this question, various aspects, ranging from the political development to the religious ,Â need to be analyzed Introduction In 1804, Haiti, a small island in the Caribbean gained its independence from a long lasting ownership of France. Toussaint L'Ouverture, a former slave and leader of the Haitian uprising, demonstrated a desire to instill in his supporters the idea that Blacks could be as strong, if not stronger than their White counterparts. The success of the uprising against the ever-powerful French implanted in Haitians the belief that Africans could succeed once harnessing their efforts in a system of brotherhood. Through a new society where people of all colors were allowed freedom and citizenship, the Haitian Revolution changed the world (Dubois).

This newfound sense of fraternity where African power and success was something conceivable, Haiti should have been led on a path of accomplishment and advancement. However, years of corruption, economic and political instability slowly broke down the countrymen's morale. Francois Duvalier, the Haitian doctor turned politician, who served as the president of Haiti from 1957 until 1971, initially preached a desire to uphold what Toussaint L'Ouverture lived for-Black empowerment. As the economic situation in Haiti became increasingly unstable, Duvalier, who was also known as Papa Doc, engaged in corrupt dealings and slowly turned his back away from his people. Papa Doc did whatever he could to rid the country of anything that went against his vision of a strong black nation, causing the fleeing of many mulattoes, who made up a majority of the intellectuals, doctors, lawyers and teachers in the country. As Papa Doc became increasingly unpopular in Haiti, he became weary and paranoid of those around him, fearing for his life and the safety of his family.

Francois Duvalier created a militia called the Tonton Macoutes who were the rebel force in the country, terrorizing and killing anyone who opposed the "President for Life's" ideals (Burt). The Tonton Macountes were a staple in the country putting Papa Doc's opponents in their place. Papa Doc's son Jean-Claude Duvalier, also known as Baby Doc, took over the presidency after the death of his father in 1971, maintaining Papa Doc's belief system, until he was ousted in a public revolt in 1986. Both Papa Doc and Baby Doc took steps during their presidencies to end any form of democracy that was ever present. Papa Doc's political agenda was tainted by a yearning to gain as much popularity and riches as he could from his growing personality cult. Even though most supporters of the Duvalier regime have been killed or hide their encouragement for the dictatorship, conclusions can still be determined by analyzing various resources and studying the evolution of politics in the country. Although much information has been lost due to the exiled and fleeing Haitians, the corruption during the Duvalier regime in many ways speaks for itself. Who was the Duvalier family?

Francois Duvalier was born in Port au Prince on April 14, 1907 and from an early age began to show a vested interest in medicine. As Duvalier continued in his studies he graduated from the University of Haiti gaining a degree in the medical field. After having graduated from the university, he pursued his career by working in small hospitals and even healing the locals. Through the course of his time as a doctor, which is when he gained the nickname "Papa Doc," Duvalier became increasingly interested in the area of public health devoting more time to finding prevention methods to stop the spread of tropical diseases which had ravaged Haiti for years. In 1939, Francois married Simone Ovide who bore him four children, Simone, Nicole, Marie-Denise and his future successor and only son, Jean-Claude. From an early age, Francois Duvalier was subjected to the instability of the Haitian government along with continued demonstrations of its inferiority to other countries such as the United States-who took it upon themselves to place rulers in the country.

Having witnessed the United States' invasion and brief occupation of his country as a young child, Papa Doc had an innate desire to prove his country was better and stronger than it had been portrayed in the past. Being subjected to as much political turmoil as Francois Duvalier was at such a young age undoubtedly had lasting effects on him, explaining why he chose to rule the country in the ruthless and cruel way that he did. Francois Duvalier's unyielding belief of African superiority pushed him to support Voodoo, a Caribbean religion that originated from African principles and ideologies. Although the prevailing religion of the time was Catholicism, Papa Doc did his best to infiltrate the beliefs of Voodoo into the Catholic Church, even going as far to have his police, the Tonton Macoutes, also known as "bogeymen," terrorize members of the Church and pillaging churches. The most drastic and shocking action Papa Doc took was expelling the Jesuits from the country and limiting their interactions with members of the Church based in Haiti. After Papa Doc's death in 1971, his son Jean Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Baby Doc," took over the presidency becoming the world's youngest at the age of 19.

Initially, Baby Doc began demonstrating a leniency that the people of Haiti had not seen with his father with Baby Doc allowing milder laws for the press and releasing some prisoners. Although these few changes gave hope to the people for a better future, their desire to live in a country that allowed them freedoms and opportunities for advancement were short lived. Â Both Francois and Jean Claude shared the ideological principle of impeding any form of opposition to their political regimes. The importance of black superiority and suppression of the mulatto's power was not as vivid in Baby Doc as it was in his father. Further proving Baby Doc's impartiality to the issue of Black superiority was his marriage to his wife, Michele Bennett, a mulatto woman from a wealthy family. The advancements in Black superiority that Papa Doc had fostered throughout his time as president were seen as a mockery once Baby Doc formed such an alliance with a woman who represented the antithesis of the Haitian belief. After Baby Doc's marriage to a light skinned woman the Haitian people no longer felt as though they were fighting for anything as she, being a mulatto, had made it farther than they had.

Although they differed in slight ways, both Papa Doc and Baby Doc succeeded in fostering a regime founded of fear and people's distrust of their government. Tension among the Haitian populace and disgust for the way the Duvalier family went about terrorizing the people with unfathomable amount of rapes, killings and pillaging are major factors that come into play when analyzing why the Haitian people are so skeptical to trust or support a government and political system that has brought them more harm than good.Â What was the religious climate like in Haiti? Having worked in the city during his time as a doctor, Francois Duvalier was able to experience firsthand the various ideologies and religions that the people of Haiti clung to especially in times of desperation. Although Roman Catholicism was and remains to be the most popular religion in Haiti, Duvalier noticed the function of voodoo in many of the Haitian people's lives. Duvalier found that voodoo had a way of bringing together aspects of spirituality, religion and most importantly black empowerment. Â The more appealing aspect to Papa Doc was the fact that voodoo had been started by the slaves brought to Haiti from Africa in the late 15th centuries.

Duvalier although not particularly against Roman Catholicism did not favor it either, believing that it was of no direct importance. Duvalier tried his best to promote voodoo among his followers and even tried to force methods of voodoo worship to non-believers. Due to Papa Doc's studies and voodoo traditions it was believed that he was a "houngan," who is someone of high stature who uses their devotion to voodoo as a means to acquire money and con others out of their riches also. As Papa Doc continued his time as president he was able to effectively appoint other voodoo wizards into not only his immediate circle but also into various ranks of the government and the police, the Tonton Macoutes. The simple fact that Papa Doc had these "houngan" working with him and receiving high positions in government is enough to understand why he became so distrusted among Haitians. As Papa Doc became more involved in voodoo, his toleration for the Catholic Church began to wane; even going as far as to force out the Haitian Archbishop, the Jesuit order and thousands upon thousands of priests.

Despite the majority of Haitians opposing Papa Doc's decision to diminish the role of the Catholic Church in the country, many were too frightened to speak out or reject the ideals that were practically being forced upon them. Those that were not afraid to speak out had been in a sense brainwashed by their ruler, believing that the mulattoes were their only sworn enemies and anything stemming from European influence, as was the Catholic church, was bad. As demonstrated throughout his time as president, the importance of voodoo was only another means of promoting the Black supremacist society.Â The personality cult that emerged around Francois Duvalier was shocking and became astonishingly powerful. Papa Doc's public acknowledgment of the benefits he believed came from voodoo, with his devotion to voodoo ceremonies, along with his rituals of magic only served as a means to control the Haitian people more. Papa Doc's blatant promotions of such a dark influence instilled fear in the people who were afraid that his powers were much more potent than anything they could do to try and stop him. What was the political situation like in Haiti during the Duvalier reign?

Before Francois Duvalier came into power as Haiti's 38th president, the country had already been through its share of untrustworthy presidents and open ended promises. Haiti had experienced dictatorships at the hands of various presidents but none as severe or merciless as during the Duvalier regime. A dictatorship, or form of government where the ruler has absolute power, could have brought about positive changes the country and many had hoped that it would have, however their desire to see the Duvalier's use their total power for the good of the people was not made into a reality. One must not think that the situation in haiti was much better before the arrival of Francois Duvalier. On the contrary, Haiti had weathered problems since the beginning of the century. The united states' intervention in the country in 1915 lasted only four years, leaving behind any hope that the American government could have changed the major problems that plagued the country and its people. the American military controlled the country until 1934 and following their departure, Haiti underwent several "coup d'etats" and riots.

The final political disturbance before Duvalier's arrival into power occurred when the general, Paul Magloire, was subjected to a political uprising being forced to resign his post on December 6, 1956 and that is when Francois Duvalier presented himself as a candidate and was elected in September of 1957. In 1957, eight years after the former president Dumarsais Estimé had been overthrown, the presidential elections consisted of Francois Duvalier, who was already supported and protected by the Haitian military, against a mulatto man named Louis Déjoie. Duvalier used his belief of black supremacy to appeal the Haitian people to not vote for his opponent Déjoie. By accusing Déjoie of being part of the group of mulattoes that were suppressing the already suffering country's black population, he was able to secure much more votes in his favor and create a negative portrayal Déjoie. The other candidates that were part of the election slowly began to fade away, resulting in Duvalier defeating all the others with nearly 680,000 votes.

This former doctor who used to heal the sick in the Hospital of Port au Prince rapidly established an extremely repressive dictatorship. Duvalier's regime forced the country to endure an intense period of absolutism and subjected the people to terror that disturbed their everyday lives. Â Â The program that the new president defended was very eye-catching for the majority of the Haitian populace and the fact that he was elected democratically brought about a lot of hope for the future of the country. Duvalier advocated an extreme nationalism in favor of "blackening Haiti". He glorified the importance of Negro advancement and tried to base his political viewpoints on the standpoint of helping Blacks gain power. Â Â Duvalier's strong regime of an absolutist nation where all control was in his hands and his opponents suffered the consequences of beating, rapes and most commonly death would continue on until his death in 1971. Even with the his son succeeding him as president, the Haitian people would not get a break from the Duvalier dictatorship until Baby Doc was forced into exile in 1986 following a revolt, leaving Haiti to have suffered almost thirty years under the same rigid laws of dictatorship and oppression.

Â Â Â With the unpublicized support of the bourgeoisie, Francois (Papa Doc) Duvalier and his dreaded macoutes killed an estimated 50,000 poor blacks during his rule. His son, Jean-Claude, took up where his father left off. Even after Jean Claude's expulsion from the country in February 1986, the slaughter of the pro-democracy black poor continued unabated." Â oÂ Â He was also aware of the latent political power of the poor black majority and their resentment against the tiny mulatto elite.[6] Duvalier became involved in the négritude movement of Haitian author Dr. Jean Price-Mars. He began an ethnological study of Vodou, Haiti's native religion, that would later pay enormous political dividends.[6][7] In 1938, Duvalier co-founded the journal Les Griots.

Social and economic effects on the Haitian populace Â Former Haitian dictator 'Baby Doc' dies - CNN.com Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has died of a heart attack He ruled Haiti with an iron fist from 1971 to 1986 He fled Haiti, was accused of human rights violations, but evaded prosecution Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier died of a heart attack in Port-au-Prince at the age of 63, a family member told CNN Saturday. Known by his nickname "Baby Doc," the so-called "President for life" actually fled Haiti in 1986 and stunned Haiti when he returned 25 years later. He was charged with human rights crimes within days of his return, but he successfully argued in court that the statute of limitations had expired on charges that included torture, rape and extrajudicial killings. Human rights groups decried the court ruling that spared Duvalier. In February, a Haitian appeals court ruled that the lower court was wrong and that there is no statute of limitations for human rights violations.

The ruling reopened the possibility that Duvalier could face such charges, but he died before a judicial investigation decided whether to pursue the charges. Duvalier inherited the title of "President for life" in 1971 upon the death of his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who had ruled with an iron fist through his paramilitary force, the Tonton Macoute. Just 19 years old when he came to power, Baby Doc became one of the world's youngest heads of state. Haitians initially celebrated his ascension, thinking the young man would be less oppressive than his father, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Duvalier used his father's security apparatus to continue ruling in a totalitarian fashion. His 15 years of rule were a time of repression in Haiti that included the torture of opponents and the taking of political prisoners. In addition, there were allegations that "Baby Doc" embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International had documented what they call systematic human rights violations under Duvalier's rule.

Both organizations accuse Duvalier of imprisoning and torturing hundreds of Haitians, including journalists, and using violent means to silence voices of opposition. 2012: Human rights groups denounce Duvalier decision Amnesty gave the public prosecutor in the Duvalier case 100 documents that it said detailed cases of human rights violations. Amnesty International's documents told the experiences of cobblers, taxi drivers, filmmakers, mechanics, distillers and even hairdressers, all of whom, they say, were arrested for anti-government activity. BBC ON THIS DAY | 22 | 1971: Haitian dictator dies 1971: Haitian dictator dies Haiti's ruler, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, has died after 14 years in power. President Duvalier, who declared himself "president for life" in 1964, died at the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince. He is believed to have been seriously ill for some time - his ailments included prostate cancer, heart trouble and diabetes. During his time as Haiti's absolute ruler Mr Duvalier, 64, survived at least six assassination attempts.

A doctor by profession, Francois Duvalier was elected as president in 1956. He then set about consolidating his power by means of force and playing on the superstitious nature of many Haitians. He destroyed the power of the Roman Catholic Church by expelling its archbishop in 1969 and encouraging the pagan cult of voodoo. His safety was ensured by his personal militia, the feared Tontons Macoutes - Haitian slang for "bogeymen". President Duvalier made sure the Tontons Macoutes vastly outnumbered the Haitian army, reducing the chance of a successful coup. Lucky 22nd He was as superstitious as many of those he ruled and, in later years, would only venture outside the presidential palace on the 22nd of each month. He believed that on the 22nd he was guarded by his voodoo spirits and organised many significant events of his life for that date. He was delighted when US President John F Kennedy, on whom he had placed a curse, was assassinated on 22 November 1963 - a fact which enhanced the reputation of his alleged voodoo powers.

President Duvalier is believed to have left orders for his death to be announced on the 22nd although it is thought he may have died several days ago. He is expected to be succeeded by his son Jean-Claude, known as "Baby Doc". The 20-year-old student was publicly declared his father's heir last year. Ex-Haiti dictator 'Baby Doc' Duvalier dead at 63 Ex-Haiti dictator 'Baby Doc' Duvalier dead at 63 Clarens Renois Pin it Share Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who ruled the impoverished Caribbean nation with an iron fist from 1971 until his ouster in 1986, died of a heart attack. He was 63. The death of Baby Doc, as he was commonly known, marks the end of a dark chapter for a desperate country plundered first by his ruthless father -- Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, a physician-turned-populist politician -- before being further ravaged by his son.

An estimated 30,000 people were killed during the reign of the Duvalier father and son, rights activists say. Baby Doc returned to Haiti in 2011, after 25 years of exile, but victims, opponents and activists never saw him face justice. Despite that, reaction to his death was muted on the streets of Haiti. President Michel Martelly, on Twitter, called him "an authentic son of Haiti" and sent his "sincere condolences to the family and to the nation." "Love and reconciliation must always prevail over our internal quarrels. May he rest in peace," wrote Martelly, who said he was paying tribute to the former president "despite our quarrels and our differences." Baby Doc's death in the capital Port-au-Prince was announced by the health minister, Florence Guillaume Duperval, who said the cause appeared to be a massive heart attack. "The family phoned us this morning asking us to send a (medical) helicopter," she told AFP. "They tried to administer first aid to him on the scene, but he died" a short time later, she said.

- Intrigue and paranoia - The younger Duvalier came to power when he was just 19 years old, and for a decade-and-a-half ruled as Haiti's self-proclaimed "president for life." Like his father, Baby Doc allowed little room for dissent, barring opposition, clamping down on dissidents, rubber-stamping his own laws and pocketing government revenue. And like his father, he made liberal use of the dreaded Tonton Macoutes, a secret police force loyal to the Duvalier family. The notorious sunglass-wearing Macoutes terrorized Haitians, arresting and torturing untold numbers of political opponents, thousands of whom vanished without ever being accounted for. Born in Port-au-Prince on July 3, 1951, the young Duvalier watched the intrigue and paranoia escalate in his father's 14-year government, which began in 1957 and saw waves of arrests, executions, bombings and 11 failed coups. At the age of 11, he survived an attack that killed three of his bodyguards.

In 1986, he was forced into exile in a popular uprising, as pro-democracy forces rallied in the streets amid international condemnation of the rampant human rights abuses during his regime. Baby Doc fled Haiti for a life of luxury in France, thanks to the hundreds of millions of dollars allegedly pilfered from the coffers of the most impoverished country in the Americas. He was said in reports to have looted as much as $300 million before being forced to flee. In the late 1990s, former political prisoners brought charges of "crimes against humanity" against Baby Doc in a Paris court, claiming they were tortured over a period of years, but the lawsuit later foundered. In 2007, Duvalier called on Haitians to forgive him for "mistakes" committed during his rule, even as the government in power at the time insisted he face trial. After his return, he was charged in a slow-moving prosecution on corruption and embezzlement allegations dating to his years in power. Efforts to bring him to justice became tangled in legal motions and appeals, and proved unsuccessful in the end.

- Divisive figure - Reed Brody of Human Rights Watch, who helped victims build their criminal case against Duvalier, lamented that the former dictator never paid for his crimes. "Duvalier's rule was marked by systematic human rights violations. Hundreds of political prisoners held in a network of prisons died from mistreatment or were victims of extrajudicial killings," Brody said. "Duvalier's government repeatedly closed independent newspapers and radio stations. Journalists were beaten, in some cases tortured, jailed, and forced to leave the country." Meanwhile, much of the money looted by Duvalier from Haiti's treasury reportedly was frittered away on a lavish lifestyle filled with fancy homes, jewelry and cars. Baby Doc returned to Haiti on January 16, 2011 in what he said was a gesture of solidarity with a nation that had been devastated the year before by a massive earthquake, which leveled much of Port-au-Prince and claimed more than 100,000 lives. The day after his unexpected return, police arrested him on charges of embezzlement. In February 2013, he pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuses.

Other than his brief jailing shortly after his arrival, he remained free for the rest of his life. "Duvalier's death deprives Haitians of what could have been the most important human rights trial in the country's history," said Brody. Reblog Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier, ousted Haitian dictator, dies at age 63 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Ousted Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier dies at 63 AP 3:05 p.m. EDT October 4, 2014 In this Feb. 28, 2013 file photo, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as "Baby Doc, " attends his hearing at court in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Duvalier, the self-proclaimed "president for life" of Haiti whose corrupt and brutal regime sparked a popular uprising that sent him into a 25-year exile, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 of a heart attack, his attorney said. He was 63.

(Photo: (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File)) Port Au Prince, Haiti — Jean-Claude-Duvalier, the self-proclaimed "president for life" of Haiti whose corrupt and brutal regime sparked a popular uprising that sent him into a 25-year exile, died Saturday of a heart attack, his attorney said. Reynold George said the 63-year-old ex-leader died at his home. He was 63. Duvalier, looking somewhat frail, made a surprise return to Haiti in 2011, allowing victims of his regime to pursue legal claims against him and prompting some old allies to rally around him. Neither side gained much support, and the once-feared dictator known as "Baby Doc" spent his late years in relative obscurity in the leafy hills above the Haitian capital. Duvalier was the son of Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, a medical doctor-turned-dictator who promoted "Noirisme," a movement that sought to highlight Haiti's African roots over its European ones while uniting the black majority against a mulatto elite in a country divided by class and color.

The regimes of both leaders tortured and killed political opponents and relied on a dreaded civilian militia known as the Tonton Macoutes. In 1971, Francois Duvalier suddenly died of an illness and named his son to succeed him. At 19, Jean-Claude Duvalier became the world's youngest president. The son was regarded as a lackluster student at a prestigious private Catholic school in the capital but his teachers gave him passing grades anyway to avoid fury from the National Palace, according to "Written in Blood" a history of the country by Robert Debs Heinl and Nancy Gordon Heinl. Jean-Claude Duvalier ruled for 15 years, his administration seen as less violent and repressive than his father's. Echoes of press freedom and personal criticism, never tolerated under his father, emerged — sporadically — because of international pressure. Still, human rights groups documented abuses and political persecution. A trio of prisons known as the "Triangle of Death," which included the much-feared Fort Dimanche for long-term inmates, symbolized the brutality of his regime. As president, he married the daughter of a wealthy coffee merchant, Michele Bennett, in 1980.

The engagement caused a scandal among old Duvalierists, for she was a mulatto and the arrangement ran counter to the Noirisme movement Duvalier's father espoused. The wedding was a lavish affair, complete with imported champagne, flowers and fireworks. The ceremony, reported to have cost $5 million, was carried live on television to the impoverished nation. After they exchanged vows, Michele ordered her tubby husband to go on a diet. Under Duvalier's rule, Haiti saw widespread demographic changes. Peasants moved to the capital in search of work as factories popped up to meet the growing demand for cheap labor. Thousands of professionals fled a climate of repression for cities such as New York, Miami and Montreal. And aid began to flow from the United States and agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The tourists followed, some in search of a form of tropical hedonism that included booze, prostitution and Voodoo ceremonies for which the country became legendary. Tourism collapsed in the early 1980s after Florida doctors noted that an unusual number of AIDS cases were coming from Haitian emigres, even though the disease was believed to have been brought from the U.S.

But it was corruption and human rights abuses that defined Duvalier rule. The National Palace became known for opulent parties as Michele took overseas shopping sprees to decorate and collect fur coats. Duvalier relished taking his presidential yacht out for a spin and racing about in sports cars. Under mounting pressure from the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Duvalier made pretenses of improving the country's human rights record by releasing political prisoners. Still, journalists and activists were jailed or exiled. Haitians without visas or money left by boarding flimsy boats in a desperate effort to reach Florida shores. The New York-based Human Rights Watch estimated that up to 30,000 Haitians were killed, many by execution, under the regime of the two Duvaliers. As Haiti's living conditions deteriorated, Pope John-Paul II made a visit in 1983 and famously declared: "Things must change." Three years later, they did. A popular uprising swept across Haiti, and Duvalier and his wife boarded a U.S.-government C-141 for France. The couple divorced in 1993.

Duvalier later became involved with Veronique Roy, who accompanied him on his 2011 return to Haiti. While in exile in France, Duvalier was never known to hold a job. He occasionally made public statements about his eagerness to return to Haiti. Supporters periodically marched on his behalf in the Haitian capital. On Jan. 16, 2011, Duvalier made his surprise return. He said he wanted to help in the reconstruction of Haiti, whose capital and outlying cities were heavily damaged in a magnitude-7.0 earthquake the year before. But many suspected he came back in an effort to reclaim money he had allegedly stashed. Others said he merely wanted to die in his homeland. More than 20 victims of his rule stepped forward to file charges that ranged from false imprisonment to torture. Human Rights Watch issued a report saying that Duvalier may not have directly participated in the torture and killings under his regime, but that there was enough evidence to prosecute him. Despite the occasional stay in the hospital, Duvalier seemed to enjoy his new life back home and was free to roam the capital. He was spotted attending government ceremonies, dining with friends in several high-end restaurants and avoided jail time.

In 2013 he began renovating an old house that Roy said had been destroyed in the wake of his 1986 ouster. The efforts to prosecute him stumbled along. Duvalier stunned human rights observers and alleged victims of his regime in 2013 when he testified about his rule before an investigating judge. A year later, a judge overturned an earlier court decision and ruled that Duvalier could face crimes against humanity charges. But in the end the case stalled because officials did little to move it along. Duvalier and his wife Michele had two children, son Francois Nicolas "Nico" Duvalier and a daughter, Anya. 60 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 2 COMMENTEMAILMORE Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read or Share this story: In Haiti, former dictator ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier is thriving - The Washington Post In Haiti, former dictator ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier is thriving The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published.

You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By William Booth January 17, 2012 Follow @boothwilliam PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — For a once-notorious dictator facing charges of crimes against humanity, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier is living a nice life here after his sudden return from exile a year ago. Although technically under house arrest, the former “president for life” dines with his many admirers at the chic bistros of Petionville, where he can be found at Quartier Latin, having his poulet creole. His faltering health has improved enough for a little red wine. His portrait, a very flattering one, is sold on the streets. If money can be laundered, so can dictators. Duvalier was the commencement speaker last month at the law school in Gonaives, an appearance that the university’s president called “totally inconceivable.” The students cheered. Last week, Duvalier drove himself — with a police escort — to the government’s memorial ceremony to mark the second anniversary of Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake.

The audience, which included Haiti’s President Michel Martelly, his prime minister and former president Bill Clinton, rose to greet him. Duvalier is back in Haiti, and it is very possible that he will never be tried for the crimes that his alleged victims and international human rights groups assert — forced disappearances, illegal detentions, intimidation, torture, and executions of journalists, activists, political opponents and others. “I cannot believe my eyes,” said Boby Duval, who spent nine months in the mid-1970s in Fort Dimanche, one of three prisons known as “the triangle of death” during the long reign of the Duvalier family — father and son, Papa Doc and Baby Doc — and the Tontons Macoutes, their paramilitary enforcers and secret police. Duval, a bear of a man who now runs a popular soccer academy for thousands of kids from the slums, entered the prison as a robust young athlete. He emerged weighing 100 pounds. “They didn’t kill you in Fort Dimanche,” he said. “They starved you to death. I watched people die of starvation.

And you never knew, ‘When am I next?’ ” Soon after Duvalier returned to Port-au-Prince in January 2011, after a 25-year exile in France, three cases were filed against him, alleging embezzlement of funds, human rights violations and crimes against humanity. Although an older generation in Haiti recalls with a shudder the bad things that happened in the Duvalier years, many Haitians are nostalgic for the era, when the country was more prosperous, tourists were not afraid to come and Haiti was the world’s leading maker of baseballs. More than 60 percent of the Haitian population is younger than 25, so they have no memory of Baby Doc’s reign, only stories of better days. A life in power Duvalier was a plump and pampered young man of 19 when he became “president for life” in 1971 after the death of his father, the far more ruthless Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, who once worked as a physician. The younger Duvalier and his then-wife, Michele Bennett, were famous for their luxurious lifestyle and shopping sprees.

After the couple divorced in 1993, Duvalier endured a more modest exile, without the Ferrari or the mansion, living in a borrowed apartment, saying he was broke. After months of delay in which three prosecutors came and went, his case is now before Judge Jean Carves, who has promised lawyers that he will soon rule on whether the matter will proceed to trial. Duvalier’s supporters think not. “He will be cleared of all charges. It is almost finished now; the judge is typing up the order to throw it all out,” said Duvalier’s attorney, Reynold Georges, who calls himself the Johnnie Cochran of Haiti, favors wide pinstripes, drives a cherry-red Mercedes and keeps an office decorated with painted nudes. Georges said the events alleged — torture, disappearances — have exceeded the statute of limitations. “Plus, they have no proof of anything,” he said in an interview.

Asked whether the rumors are true that Duvalier, now 60, is planning a return to politics, Georges said, “If he decides to run for president, he will be eligible, and if he runs, he will win, and I will support him.” “Was Jean-Claude Duvalier scary?” the lawyer asked. “Not Duvalier. But yes, the people around him, secret police, yes, some of them were very scary. But Jean-Claude is a nice guy, believe me.” ‘It is part of the past’ Reed Brody of the group Human Rights Watch said the statute of limitations does not apply in this case. “Haiti has ratified treaties that obligate it to investigate grave violations of human rights,” he said. “There are 30-year-old cases going forward in Cambodia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay.” Brody said that, in the cases of the disappeared, the crimes continue, since no one knows what happened to the victims.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say that Duvalier should be held accountable for acts he either ordered or failed to stop, and that, as the commander in chief and supreme leader of Haiti, he was an accomplice to crimes committed by his government. They say Haiti must break with its history of impunity if true democracy is to flower. “We have witnesses now from when my clients were beaten and tortured, witnesses who saw them being beaten and arrested, who saw what happened in the prisons,” said Mario Joseph, a lawyer who filed one of the cases. But the lawyers pursuing Duvalier say that the international community, with the exception of Canada, has been mostly silent on the prosecution — and that the new government of Haiti is against it. Asked about the Duvalier case, President Martelly told The Washington Post: “It is part of the past. We need to learn our lessons and move forward.

“It is time to unite the country, show tolerance, show compassion, show love for everyone,” Martelly said, “to reconcile the factions that have been at war, because the war we’ve been having in Haiti is among us.” Ties to a dictator Martelly’s government includes many officials with ties to Duvalier’s government, including Prime Minister Garry Conille, whose father, Serge, served as minister of sports and youth for the dictatorship. But in Haiti’s tiny political class, many families have a connection to the Duvaliers. Before becoming prime minister, Conille served with Bill Clinton on the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission and worked as a development manager for the United Nations. The U.S. ambassador to Haiti, Kenneth Merten, said the Duvalier case “is a matter for the Haitian courts and for the Haitian people who feel aggrieved.” The Duvalier affair is also complicated by the recent return from exile of another former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Duvalier’s supporters say that if he is dragged into court to answer for past sins, so, too, should Aristide.

Bernard Diederich, an authority on the Duvalier regime and the author of “ Papa Doc & the Tontons Macoutes ,” said Duvalier “certainly should stand trial and let justice decide whether he is guilty of stealing hundreds of millions and for the killings during his reign, especially those who died in Fort Dimanche.” “But as Haiti is the land of impunity,” Diederich said, “don’t expect justice.” More world news coverage: Haiti: Justice Denied by Duvalier’s Death | Human Rights Watch October 4, 2014 6:08PM EDT Haiti: Justice Denied by Duvalier’s Death Ex-Dictator Under Investigation for Crimes Against Humanity Languages Former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier leaves the civil court house with his wife in Port-au-Prince on January 18, 2011. © 2011 Reuters (New York) – The inability of Haiti’s courts to bring to trial former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier deprived his countless Haitian victims of the justice they sought, Human Rights Watch said today.

Duvalier’s death was reported on October 4, 2014. “It's a shame that the Haitian justice system could not bring Baby Doc Duvalier to trial before he died,” said Reed Brody, special counsel at Human Rights Watch, who worked with Duvalier’s victims. “Duvalier’s death robs Haiti of what could have been the most important human rights trial in its history.” Duvalier inherited power from his father, the dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, and ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986. During the son’s rule, Haiti was marked by systematic human rights violations. Hundreds of political prisoners held in a network of prisons known as the “triangle of death” died from their extraordinarily cruel treatment. Others were victims of extrajudicial killings. Duvalier’s government repeatedly closed independent newspapers and radio stations. Journalists were beaten, and in some cases tortured, jailed, or forced into exile. When “Baby Doc” Duvalier made a surprise return to Haiti on January 16, 2011, following a 25-year exile in France, the authorities reopened a criminal case against him.

In January 2012, an investigating judge ruled that the statute of limitations had expired on the human rights crimes of which he was accused. His victims appealed. In February 2013, an appeals court ordered Duvalier to testify, as did many of his government’s victims, but only in February 2014 did the court re-instate the charges, saying that international law barred the use of statute of limitations for crimes against humanity. One of the appeals court judges took over the investigation and was interviewing victims and witnesses when Duvalier died. “Duvalier’s court appearance in 2013 to be questioned about his alleged crimes was a critical moment in a country where the rich and powerful have always been above the law,” said Brody. “A fair trial for Duvalier could have ended the impunity that has characterized Haiti’s past and will likely plague its future.” A Human Rights Watch report, “Haiti's Rendezvous With History: The Case of Jean-Claude Duvalier,” examined the legal and practical questions surrounding the case and concluded that Haiti had an obligation under international law to investigate and prosecute the grave violations of human rights under Duvalier’s rule.

The report, published in April 2011, also addressed Haiti’s capacity to carry out the trial, the question of the statute of limitations, and Duvalier’s personal involvement in alleged criminal acts. “A Haitian proverb says ‘He who gives the blow forgets; he who carries the scar remembers,’” Brody said. “Duvalier may have forgotten the blows he gave to the Haitian people, but his victims remember.” Region / Country Associate Director, International Justice Program December 21, 2016 India’s Failure to End Killings in Police Custody December 6, 2016 Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier dies at 63 Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier dies at 63 By Amelie Baron Share By Amelie Baron PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Deposed Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier died of a heart attack on Saturday, closing the book on a political dynasty notorious for human rights abuses and corruption in the poorest country in the Americas. Duvalier's death was confirmed by his lawyer, Reynold Georges. He was 63.

Duvalier inherited power from his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, aged just 19 in 1971, but fled into exile in 1986 during a popular uprising which ended 28 years of rule by the father-and-son dynasty. After spending 25 years in France, Duvalier returned to his Caribbean homeland in January 2011 and was briefly detained on charges of corruption, theft and misappropriation of funds. A Haitian court in February ruled that Duvalier could be charged with crimes against humanity under international law, and that he could also be held responsible for abuses by the army and paramilitary forces under his rule. Duvalier consistently denied any responsibility for abuses committed while in office. He was, however, a portly poster-child for wanton misrule, failing to address the poverty and illiteracy of Haitians while his family and friends indulged in a luxurious lifestyle. Duvalier relied on terror to keep his people at heel in the style of his father, a former country doctor who enforced his rule through the dreaded Tonton Macoutes, a spooky paramilitary force of secret police agents sporting pistols and dark sun glasses.

Reed Brody of New York-based Human Rights Watch, who helped Duvalier's victims build the criminal case, said it was a shame he died before he could be put on trial. "Duvalier's death deprives Haitians of what could have been the most important human rights trial in the country’s history," he added. "Hundreds of political prisoners held in a network of prisons died from mistreatment or were victims of extrajudicial killings," he added. "Duvalier's government repeatedly closed independent newspapers and radio stations. Journalists were beaten, in some cases tortured, jailed, and forced to leave the country." In a series of messages on Twitter, Haitian President Michel Martelly, accused by critics of being a Duvalier sympathizer, offered his condolences to the former dictator's family. "Despite our quarrels and our differences, we honor the departure of a true son of Haiti," Martelly wrote. Duvalier's son, Nicolas, is an adviser to the Martelly government, according to local media reports. POWER Duvalier was born on July 3, 1951, and grew up at the center of power.

In 1957, his father won national elections in the former French slave colony and first independent black state in the Americas. "Papa Doc" quickly consolidated his power, rigged elections and imposed repressive rule. He also exploited popular superstitions surrounding the native voodoo religion to intimidate his opponents and ordinary Haitians. When he died in 1971, his son took over, even inheriting the formal title of "President for Life." Plump and six feet tall, with long side whiskers, "Baby Doc" was an introvert who shunned public appearances. In 1980, he married Michelle Bennett, a young divorcee, in a union seen as improving Duvalier's relations with the Creole middle class disaffected by Papa Doc's heavy hand and sinister ways. The younger Duvalier suppressed all effective opposition during his 15-year term until his overthrow. As his problems grew he sought to improve his international image by relaxing his iron fist, but opponents continued to be arrested, often ending up in exile.

Bennett became a lightning rod for criticism due to her regular shopping expeditions to the most expensive stores in Europe, seemingly contemptuous of the poverty outside the iron gates of Haiti's imposing presidential palace in downtown Port-au-Prince. In 1983, Duvalier welcomed Pope John Paul II to the island, although the pontiff declared that Haitians lacked "everything that permits a truly human existence." His dramatic fall from power came after two months of widespread demonstrations and the withdrawal of support for his regime by the United States, which helped him escape. He sought refuge in France, leaving behind jubilant Haitians dancing in the street. Soon after he returned to Haiti in 2011, taking up residence in a villa in a posh suburb above the capital Port-au-Prince, Duvalier issued a brief apology to victims of his government. He told a court last year that the abuses were carried out by individual government officials who "had their own authority." The corruption and human rights charges he faced after his return from exile were closely watched by international observers who considered it an important test of Haiti's weak justice system after decades of dictatorship, military rule and economic mayhem.

Duvalier was alleged by his victims to have had a hand in at least a dozen of the most notorious cases involving extrajudicial killings and detention of political prisoners. He was also alleged to have fled Haiti with more than $100 million stashed in European bank accounts in 1986. (Writing by David Adams; Editing by James Dalgleish and Kieran Murray) Reblog

Question: What was the surname of the Haitian dictator Papa Doc?
Answer: (Francois) Duvalier